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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28252854">The Things You've Done for Me Lately</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siancore/pseuds/Siancore'>Siancore</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Falcon &amp; The Winter Soldier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Bucky Barnes is in love, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship, Sam Wilson Needs a Hug, small misunderstandings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:08:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,463</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28252854</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siancore/pseuds/Siancore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam isn't feeling too great. Bucky goes to Sam's sister, Sarah, for advice on how to cheer him up.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>120</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Things You've Done for Me Lately</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Based on this Anon Ask on Tumblr: "Hey, sorry about your shitty day :/ I hope this hc soothe you a little bit. I believe when Bucky stayed in the Wilson's household, he once went to Sarah to ask her about how to cheer Sam up, bc it's "his job" to know as his "partner" and it's only for profesional reasons. And Sarah looks at him with that "You're full of shit, Barnes" look that apparently runs in the family, but helps him anyway. And next time Sam is having a hard time, he's in awe to find Bucky just know what to do to help him."</p>
<p>I've edited and expanded on the original. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sarah Wilson gave Bucky Barnes a dubious stare.</p>

<p></p><div class="">
  <p></p>
  <div class="">
    <p></p>
    <div class="">
      <p></p>
      <div class="">
        <p>“What?” he replied, growing nervous under her watchful gaze.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“You’re full of shit,” she said crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. Gosh, she looked like Sam when <em>he</em> was unimpressed.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“I just wanna know what to do for Sam when he’s havin’ a hard time. Y’know, as a good partner and friend.”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Right,” said Sarah. “A friend. Got it.”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“You don’t think we’re friends?”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“I think you are, I just think you wanna be <em>more</em> than friends,” she said, eyes softening when she saw the look on Bucky’s face; the look that showed he had been found out.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Yeah, maybe I do. No, actually, I do. I want Sam to be with me, but if that’s not what he wants, then I’m gonna be the best friend he’s had. So please, Sarah, tell me what to do to help him.”</p>
        <p>"Okay," she replied, with a nod of her head. "You know what will make him feel great?"</p>
        <p>"What's that?"</p>
        <p>"If you tell him how you feel."</p>
        <p>"I don't think so," said Bucky, as he dipped his head and placed his hands in his pockets. "He needs a friend right now, not something else to confuse or distract him."</p>
        <hr/>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>Sam was dealing with being snubbed for the Captain America mantle by the US government. Sure, it had left him feeling shitty, but he was getting by. He resigned himself to the fact that there was nothing he could do to change that. He had no choice in the matter. He could, however, choose how he was going to spend his days, and lazy sounded perfect.</p>
        <p>Sam was lounging on the sofa reading, and minding his own business, when suddenly the opening skit and sounds of Janet Jackson’s “What Have You Done for Me Lately” came on. Sam instantly sat up upon hearing one of his favorite songs. He looked around and saw Barnes wearing a smug little grin.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>Bucky moved closer, smiling down at Sam, before saying, “Dance with me Sam-Sam.”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>Sam narrowed his eyes and gave Barnes a questioning look before getting to his feet, stretching a little, and asking with a small smile, “Mmm alright. What you know about Miss Jackson, eh?”</p>
        <hr/>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>A few days later, after watching news reports about US Agent being sworn in as Captain America, Sam was feeling down again. He had been unable to take his attention away from the perpetual coverage of the big announcement, but was growing tired of the conjecture around about the time one news anchor mentioned his name. Sam let out a sigh and was about to change the channel, when Bucky turned off the TV, picked up a small cushion from the armchair, and whacked Sam about the head without much force.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Pillow fight!” yelled Bucky as he took up a defensive stance.</p>
        <p>After the initial shock wore off, Sam went straight to being competitive. Didn't Barnes know he was reigning pillow fight champ in the Wilson household since nineteen-ninety-six? Barnes was gonna learn today. </p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Oh, you are on,” said Sam, grabbing a larger cushion before swinging it at Bucky. “Don't you know who I am?"</p>
        <p>Bucky grinned and waited for Sam to ready himself to parry. </p>
        <p>"The hot-shot who's gonna take a pillow ass-beating?"</p>
        <p>"Ha! Unlikely," Sam replied, as he shifted forward. "Practice fallin' down, Barnes 'cause I’m <em>so</em> gonna kick your ass!”</p>
        <hr/>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>A few weeks later, news came through that Bucky was being called back to the action as Helmut Zemo had escaped imprisonment. Sam was quiet for a few days; he wore a forlorn expression on his handsome face. Bucky hated seeing him upset. He thought back to what Sarah had told him and remembered what he had kept for a rainy day.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“What’s going on, Sam-Sam?” asked Bucky as he flopped down beside him on the porch.</p>
        <p>A soft breeze swept up around them. The sun hung low in the late afternoon sky. Somewhere off in the distance, a bird sang its song. Barnes let his eyes settle on Wilson a moment; when the warm rays of sunlight kissed Sam's skin, Bucky almost forgot to breathe</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Hey, Buck. You good?”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Yeah, I just remembered I had these stashed away,” said Bucky as he handed a bag of gummy bears over to Sam. It was the same brand he, Sarah, and their brother Gideon loved as children. He took the bag from Barnes and offered him a sad smile.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Thank you,” he whispered, before placing the bag next to him.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Sammy? What’s wrong?”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>Sam let out a loud sigh and said, “Everything. These past few weeks haven’t been great. But you. <em>God</em>. You’ve been so great, Buck. And now you have to go. But I get it. It’s part of the job. I just — I’m gonna miss you.”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>Bucky felt his heart clench in his chest.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“It ain’t gonna be forever, Sammy,” he replied. “And I’m gonna miss you, too.”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Not how I’ll miss you,” said Sam, as he glanced sideways at Barnes. “And these last couple of weeks have really made me realize something. You don’t feel the same about me as I feel about you.”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Sam —“</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“No, Bucky. It’s okay. You’ve been amazing. You’ve helped me get outta my own head. Done things that made me feel better, instantly. Like, I don’t know how you knew I love old school Janet Jackson; or how pillow fights always made me feel better and help me blow off steam; or how gummy bears were my favorite candies when I was a kid. You’ve been an amazing friend, more like a sibling.”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Oh.”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Yeah, like even calling me Sam-Sam instead of Wilson or Sammy. It’s sweet, but it put things in perspective for me,” said Sam as he took another breath. “You see me as a friend, right? More like a brother or something. And I don’t see you like that.”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Sam, I — I don’t. How do you see me?”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“It doesn’t matter,” said Sam with a plaintive little chuckle. “You see me as a sibling. You do everything my own siblings do to cheer me up. And that’s great. But it means you’ll never see me how I see you.”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Sammy, please,” said Bucky as he placed a hand to Sam’s arm. “How do you see me?”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“You’re leaving. It doesn’t matter.”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“It does, because I don’t see you as a brother or anything like that,” said Bucky, finding his courage. “I look at you and I swear my heart’s gonna jump outta my chest. You’re the most gorgeous guy I’ve ever seen. I just wanna make you happy. I wanna give you the world. I can’t even put it into words how I see you, Sam. But it’s somethin’ else. <em>You’re</em> somethin’ else. You’re everything. And I know I don’t have a chance with you; a chance at bein’ your man. But if you just wanna be friends, that’s more than I could ask for.”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>Sam looked at Bucky with wide eyes and a racing heart.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“What?” asked Sam as he knit his brow. “What’re you saying?”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“The things I did for you to cheer you up, I got the ideas from your sister. I noticed you weren't yourself, so I asked Sarah what she did to make you feel better when you were down,” Bucky explained. “I wanted to make you feel better. I didn’t want it to come across as me trying to be a sibling to you. I wanted to be a good friend to you, because I care about you, Wilson. So much. I want to be more than a friend to you, it’s another reason why I wanted to do nice things; to show I could take care of you, even if it was little things like candy and pillow fights.”</p>
        <p>Sam's head was spinning. </p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“So, hold up. You <em>like</em> <em>me</em>, like me?”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Yeah, of course. I’m sweet on you, Sammy. Are you sayin’ you’re sweet on me, too?”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>Sam took another deep breath, closed his eyes a beat, and then said, “Yes, Bucky. <em>Yes.”</em></p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“Oh, thank God,” said Bucky with a laugh and a wide smile.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>The pair laughed and looked at one another shyly, before Bucky took hold of Sam’s hand.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“I want to be with you,” he said softly. “I want you to be my best guy; my <em>only</em> guy.”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>Sam bit his lip and nodded his head before saying, “I want that, too.”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>They shared a chaste kiss before pulling apart and smiling once more.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>“You’re leaving soon,” said Sam, almost melancholic.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>Bucky cupped Sam’s face and said, “Yeah, but I’ll come back to you. Promise you’ll be here and save me some gummy bears.”</p>
      </div>
      <div class="">
        <p>They kissed again and then Sam smiled and said, “I will and I promise.”</p>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you liked this. Happy Holidays!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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